Bottle wrapping machine



Oct. 20, 1931. P. o. BICKFORD BOTTLE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 'l INVENTOR PERCY D. B/cKFoRa AT'T'OIQNEYS Oct. 20, 1931. 1 p BICKFQRD 1,828,123

BOTTLE WRAPPING MACHINE I Filed March 15, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR PERC Y D B ICKFORD Lay 2 Z A TTORNE Y5 Oct. 20, 1931. P. D. BICKFORD BOTTLE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 m VENTOR PERCY 0. 8ICKF'ORD B A J ATTQRNEYS Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PERCY D. BICKI'ORD, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CAMPBELL GUILLOD THOMPSON, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA,

CANADA some wnnrrme mm Application filed larch 15, 1980. Serial No. 488,146.

My invention relates to improvements in bottle wrapping machines which are particularly adapted to apply to sealed bottles open ended paper wrappers which are normally flat when made and when opened conform substantially to the shape of the bottles to which they are applied. The objects of the invention are to pick up the colla sed wrappers, to open them and to a ply em to the bottles as they are carried a ong upon a suitable conveyor.

The invention consists essentially of a bottle conveyor, wrapper chute, a suction device for progressively picking up a wrapper and delivering it to a further suction device which opens the wrapper and places it upon a bottle as said bottle is-moved by the conveyor, as will be .more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accomm panying drawings, in which v Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the mvention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of the wrapper opening mechanism.

Fig. 5 is afront view of same.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view taken on the 80 line 6--6 of Figure 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan. view of the bottle release mechanism to the wrapping mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a front view of same.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the primary vacuum'valve control.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the secondary vacuum valve control.

In the drawings like characters of refergnce indicate corresponding parts in each ure.

The numeral 1 indicates generally a frame consisting of uprights 2, tiers of transverse members 3, 4, 5, and 6, and longitudinal members 7. J ournalled in suitable bearings upon the transverse members 5 is a longitudinally disposed drive shaft 8 having a pulley 9, and drive sprockets 10, 11 and 12, and at its front end a mitre gear 13 which latter drives a vertical shaft 14 through a mitre gear 15. The sprocket 11 drives through a chain 16 a further sprocket 17 which is keyed to a longitudinal shaft 18 journalled in suitable bearings on the tier of transverse members 3. The shaft 18 is fitted at its rear'end with a mitre gear 19 which in turn drives through a mitre gear 20 a transverse shaft 21 which is journalled in bearings 22 mounted upon the rear end of the longitudinal frame members 7.

At the front end of the machine a further transverse shaft 23 is journalled in bearings 24 and is fitted with a pulley 25 which is driven by a suitably supported conveyor belt 26 from a pulley 27 keyed upon the shaft 21.

The sprocket l0 drives a countershaft 28 through a chain 29 passing around a further sprocket 30, the countershaft being j ournalled longitudinally of the machine and having a crank 31 at its forward end which is connected to a slide 32 mounted upon a transverse counterweight rockin arm 33. The crank 31 is driven in a cloeliwise direction as viewed fromthe front, and in consequence the up-' stroke of the inner end of the rocking arm is accomplished at a greater speed than the downstroke. The inner end of the rocking arm is fitted with a universal joint 34 attached to the upper end of a connecting rod 35, the lower end of which connecting rod is fitted with a second universal joint 36 connected to a slide 37 to be hereinafter referred to in detail.

The sprocket 12 drives, through a chain 38 and a further sprocket 39, a hollow shaft 40 having at its forward end a hose coupling 41 and at its rear end a radial extension 42 which is outwardly branched as ati3 and fitted with a pair of suction cups 44. Fitted longitudinally of the upper run of the conveyor belt 26 are spaced guides 45 which serve to maintain the bottles carried therealong upon its longitudinal centre to align them with the capping mechanism. Mounted to one side of the machine is a wrapper chute or rack 46 having a front opening in which the wrappers are placed in inverted position and are urged towards the front opening which is provided with a suitable spring retainer -47 for the purpose of releassha ably holding the foremost wrapper in position to be engaged b the suction cups 44 on the radial arm 42. itted adjacent the front end of the machine and about the conveyor belt 26 is a bottle release mechanism shown in Figures 7 and 8 and generally referred to by the numeral 48. A base plate 49 extends transversely of the machine between the up-' per and lower runs of the belt 26 and journalled throu h it is a pair of freely rotatable vertical shafts 50 fitted with intermeshing gears 51 of equal pitch diameter. These shafts are fitted with pairs of star wheels 52 having co-operating recesses 53 which are adapted when in register to permit the passage of bottles one by one therebetween, and when not in register to obstruct the movement of the bottles upon the belt. The rotation of the star wheels is effected indirectly from the moving belt 26 and a bottle carried thereon, the bottle being moved into opposing recesses 53 and into contact with the marginal edges thereof causes said wheels to turn that the bottle may pass therebetween. Mounted upon one of the shafts 50 is a disc 54 having as many regularly spaced indentations 55 in its periphery as there are recesses in each of the star wheels, into each of which the upper end of a balanced trigger 56 is adapted to enter progremively to stop the star wheels from rotating immediately following the release and to prevent the passage of the next bottle.

Fitted u n the lower end of the shaft 14 is a cam 5 having a projection 58, shown in dotted line in Figure 7, which engages the lower end of the trigger 56 at a predetermined point of its rotation to rock the trigger and permit a further bottle to pass the star wheels that each successive bottle may be so timed on the conveyor as to receive a wrapper on reaching the wrapping mechanism. The slide 37 of the wrapplng mechanism is a U- d member 59 the legs of which are fitted wit pairs of bearings 60 slidably mounted upon a pair of spaced inclined guides 61 and a pair of forwardly projectin lugs 62 each of which support an inwardly projecting shaft 63. Fitted in front and parallel to the guides 61 is a pair of cam plates 64 which are so spaced as to permit the passage of the conveyor belt 26 and the bottles thereon, these cam plates are each rovided with a cam slot 65 divided into re atively straight portions indicated by the numerals 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70 the purpose of which will here inafter appear. Slidably mounted on each of the shafts 63 is a block 71 having a circular arm 72 which projects through its adjacent cam slot and adjustably supports at its outer end a tubular bracket or swan neck 73 having at its upper extremity a suction cup 74. The lower ends of the swan necks are fitted with flexible hose 75 leading to a valve .5 generally indicated by the numeral 7 6 (see Figure 10).

end is rotatably mounted in the valve body 77 which is fitted with a stem 82 projecting concentrically through the cover 79 and is connected by a suitable coupling 83 to the rear end of the countershaft 28.

The cylinder 81 is provided with a peripheral port 84 which is adapted to be in register with the inlet connection during the time that the arms 72 of the wrapping mechanism are downwardly traversing the portions 67, 68 and 69 of the cam slots 65 and to be out of register during the remainder of the traversing cycles. A vacuum line, not shown, extends from the outlet connection 78 to a suitable vacuum pump, not shown. Mounted upon the vertical shaft 14 is a disc 85 having two peripheral gaps 86 spaced approximate ly 180 degrees apart.

Mounted adjacent the shaft 14 is a valve 87 having an inlet opening 88 connected to a suitable suction pump, not shown, and an outlet opening 89 connected by suitable piping to the hose coupling 41 on the tubular shaft 40, the valve is provided with a suitable seat and closure 90 and a vertical stem 91 which is fitted above the valve with a yoke 92 supporting a non-rotatable collar 93 havin a horizontally projecting dog 94 capable o passing through either of the gaps 86 in the disc 85. Suitably mounted above the valve 87 is a small solenoid 95 having an armature connected to a vertical rod 96 the lower end of which rod projects through the collar 93 and is fitted with a light compression spring 97 and a nut 98 which serves as an abutment for the lower end of the ispring.

The numeral 99, see igure 3) indicates a light s ring open side of t e conveyor belt 26 between the bottle release 48 and the wrappin mechanism, which is adapted to be actuate by each bottle passing therealong to close an electrical circuitin which the solenoid 95 is in circuit, so as to energize said solenoid that its lunger may be raised and the dog 94 broug t into resilient contact with the underside of the disc 85, which disc in rotatin brings one of the gaps 86 into re 'ster wit the dog that the latter may be orced upwards through the gap, and in so doing raising the valve stem 91 and openin the valve. The valve when open permits t e pump to exert a vacuum pull on the suction cups 44 to draw the foremost wrapper in the chute 46 into holding contact therewith, so that the wrapper is drawn from the hopper and carried through a semi-circular path into an upright ition adjacent and between the upper en of the cam plates 64. When the wrapper reaches the position above described the sliding memswitch, disposed to one ber 59 has moved partway down on its stroke until the arms 72 are in the portions 67 of the cam slots 65 and the opposed suction cug 74 are in contact with opposite sides of t wrapper and between the cups 44, and the valve 7 6 is open to produce a suction on the cups 74 to support the wrapper. Prior to the cups 74 taking hold, the bottle which has passed the spring opened switch 99 has permitted it to open the circuit, de-energizing the solenoid 95 and allowing the dog 94 to rest upon the top face of the disc 85 and when the cups 74 having taken hold on the wrapper, the second gap 86 is in register with the'dog 94, so that the latter dro therethroughand allows the valve 87 to c ose, thus breaking the suction on the cups 44 and releasing their hold on the wrapper. The suction on the cups 7 4 is applied to opposite sides of the wrapper so that as the arms 7 2 cam slots, the wrapper is opened up to substantially cylindrical formand is lowered over the neck of the bottle and as they pass down the parallel portions 69 the wrapper 1s carried down to fully envelop the bottle. The closing of the rotary valve 76 is timed to correspond withthe entering of the arms 74 takes place before that next succeeding bottle is brought into position thereunder. If a bottle shortage occurs and at the proper interval there is no bottle to'close the switch 99, the solenoid is not energized to open the valve 87 and in consequence no suction is effected at the 0!?)8 44 which then fail to pick up a wrapper or delivery to the wrapping mechanism. 7

What I claim as my invention is: 1. In a machine for covering bottles with a convey r. belt along which bottles are adapted to be carried, a

wrapper delivery mechanism including a' pair of inclined guides, a member reciprocable along said guides, a'pair of arms fitted with suction cups, carriedby said member, means for placing a wrapper between said pass enga through the diverging portions 68Iof the a beiion vglgich bottles are 'adaptedl to be (311;- ve to wrap ,aspacmg' evice plogeed above the comprising a pair of 1y rotatable overlapping star wheels having opposing adapted to permit the passage of a bottle therebetween and timing means to prevent the rotation of the star wheels until a predetermined belt movement has taken place.

3. In a machine for covering bottles with openended' wrappers, a continuously moving conveyor for moving bottles progressively, a wrapper delivery mechanism above the belt comprisinga rotary suction'arm adapted to pick up a wrapper and invert it, a pair of opv suction cups, means for bringing the suction cups into contact with op oslte sides of'the inverted wra per,'means' or causing the rotary arm to re ease the wrapper as it is y the suction cups, 'means for moving t e cups apart to open the wrapper and simultaneously lower said wrapper onto a moving bottle upon the belt; a

4. In a machine for covering bottles with open ended wrappers, a continuously moving belt adapted to convey bottles to be covered,

a wrapper delivery mechanism having an arm for picking up a wrapper and disposing it above the conveyor, and a pair of suction cups for receiving the wrapper from the arm, opening it and placing it upon a bottle travelling upon the belt, and means operable in response to a bottle shortage upon the belt for preventing the arm from picln'ng up a wrapper.

Dated at Vancouver, B. 0., this 3rd day of February, 1930.

' PERCY D. BICKFORD.

III

cups, means for separating the cups to open the wrapper as the member is moved downwards alon the guides whereby the wrapper is placed above a bottle upon the conveyor belt, and means for controlling a suction to support the wrapper in contact with the cups 7 on thfndoaiwprd stroke of the membe 2. a ttewrap machinehavmg' a wrapper delivery met i l lfllll above 

